"Nine Heavens Thunder Blade," Fifth Stage

After Qin Hao was knocked back, he steadied himself, pushed hard off the floor, and quickly retreated. In that last attack, Qin Hao had held nothing back. With the power of a peak Intermediate War God, plus 3.5-times Force Generation, his strength had already surpassed that of an Advanced War God.

But in that clash, Qin Hao had not gained the slightest advantage. Instead, he had come out worse.

"Advanced War God." Qin Hao quickly made the judgment in his heart, and at the same time became even more cautious. His figure kept retreating as he prepared to leave the laboratory environment.

Facing a War God still put a certain amount of pressure on Qin Hao. In an equal environment, Qin Hao was confident he could handle it. But the current environment was clearly unfavorable to him. With his strength unable to be fully brought to bear, engaging a War God here was obviously unwise.

His figure advanced quickly, and following the route in his memory, Qin Hao soon arrived at the next level. This level was clearly different from the previous one. It was an energy supply area, with a huge energy device in the center constantly releasing energy.

Just as Qin Hao came to a stop, a figure appeared rapidly behind him, the Katana in his hand attacking toward Qin Hao's position.

Clang, clang, clang. A continuous series of collision sounds rang out as Qin Hao and the other man clashed. Even though Qin Hao used his full strength, under the attacks of an Advanced War God, he still gained no advantage at all. Instead, he fell into a disadvantage and was struck several times.

However, with the SS-Rank Combat Suit on the outside and the Black God Set on the inside, although the Advanced War God's attacks were strong, they did not cause Qin Hao the slightest injury. Slashes were left across the combat suit, but not even a mark remained on the Black God Set.

"Black God Set." When Yanagawa Masami saw that Qin Hao had not suffered any harm under his attacks, he instantly understood the origin of that black combat suit.

As a divine equipment set on Earth, the Black God Set existed in extremely limited numbers. Every owner was a true core member of some major force, and many Beyond War God existences did not even have one. Yet now, it had actually appeared on a young man.

Yanagawa Masami formed a certain guess about Qin Hao's identity, and a trace of wariness flashed through his eyes. But very quickly, that wariness turned into resolve, and his gaze filled with killing intent.

"Secret art, Falling Snow."

As Yanagawa Masami murmured, the long blade in his hand was suddenly enveloped in a layer of fine mist, and the surrounding air abruptly turned cold.

The blade slashed over. Qin Hao felt a biting chill sweep toward him, and the instant the two blades collided, a surge of cold energy rushed along the long blade, as if it would freeze him solid in the next moment.

"How is that possible?" Feeling the cold energy attacking him, Qin Hao was extremely shocked. Attribute-based attacks could not appear on a War God. Even comprehending a conception could not draw upon the power of heaven and earth.

But now, this little Japanese man before him had actually grasped this power. As Qin Hao thought, he retreated.

"No, his power hasn't increased. He's still an Advanced War God." Qin Hao's brows knitted tightly. "How did he do it?"

Qin Hao's heart was full of doubt, but Yanagawa Masami gave him no time to think. His attacks followed rapidly. Qin Hao pushed his Perfect level movement technique to its limit in actual combat, his figure constantly dodging the attacks while his eyes remained fixed on Yanagawa Masami, trying to find the flaw within.

"The blade is the problem." After dodging more than twenty moves, Qin Hao quickly discovered the crux of the matter. It was precisely the blade in Yanagawa Masami's hand.

However, just as Qin Hao was about to begin counterattacking, streaks of cold light shot rapidly from a passage not far away, attacking Qin Hao. The angles of the cold gleams were extremely tricky, targeting Qin Hao's exposed eyes and nose, forcing him to dodge aside.

At the same time, Yanagawa Masami, who had been pursuing Qin Hao all along, slashed over and struck Qin Hao directly. The blade landed straight across Qin Hao's chest.

When the slash fell, under the protection of the combat suit and the Black God Set, Qin Hao was not injured. However, frost condensed on both the combat suit and the Black God Set, and the bone-piercing cold passed through the protection, making Qin Hao shudder all over. At his chest, cold energy kept trying to invade deeper into his body, and even his heart could not help trembling violently.

"Not good." Qin Hao cried out inwardly and quickly retreated. However, neither Yanagawa Masami nor the Japanese Mental Master hidden in the shadows gave Qin Hao the slightest time to react. After their first success, the two men's attacks came one after another. Although Qin Hao dodged quickly, several more slashes still struck his body.

The cold energy kept invading him, making Qin Hao feel as if even his movements were slowing. His blood flow and bodily functions were all affected. Although martial artists absorbed Cosmic Energy and evolved continuously, before breaking through to the Planetary level, they were still flesh and blood. Facing extreme low temperatures, they would still be affected and injured.

"I can't let this go on. I'll deal with the Mental Master first." Qin Hao made his decision. His figure rapidly vanished from where he stood, moving away from Yanagawa Masami's attack range and fleeing quickly in one direction.

"You want to run now? It's already too late!" Behind him, Yanagawa Masami chased after Qin Hao, his malicious voice carrying the nasty amusement of a cat toying with a mouse.

As an Advanced War God, he had actually suffered a loss at the hands of a wet-behind-the-ears brat, and had even needed someone else's assistance to gain the upper hand. It could be said that he felt extremely stifled inside.

Qin Hao ignored Yanagawa Masami behind him, and his running speed continued to increase. But even with the enhancement of Nine Heavens Thunder Blade's Force Generation, Qin Hao's speed still could not completely shake off Yanagawa Masami. Instead, the distance between them kept closing, and Qin Hao could only rely on constantly changing direction to buy himself a chance to strike.

"Faster. I need to be even faster." Under the pursuit and attacks of Yanagawa Masami and the Japanese Mental Master, Qin Hao felt himself growing excited. The cells throughout his body became active, and his mind became clearer than ever before.

He continuously dodged the incoming Flying Needles while using the long blade in his hand to deflect them, changing their direction and creating a small amount of obstruction for Yanagawa Masami behind him. At the same time, his footwork constantly shifted in direction. Speed, strength, and Force Generation were all pushed continuously to their limits.

All along, although Qin Hao had applied the fourth stage Force Generation of "Nine Heavens Thunder Blade" to every part of his body, in terms of cultivation, he had still practiced it through the Blade Technique. Now, in the process of running, Qin Hao felt his understanding of Nine Heavens Thunder Blade's Force Generation becoming even clearer.

"Although Nine Heavens Thunder Blade is displayed through a Blade Technique, its root is still Force Generation. Since Force Generation can be applied throughout the whole body, then likewise, it can also be used to cultivate the Force Generation of Nine Heavens Thunder Blade." Qin Hao advanced rapidly, his speed gradually reaching its extreme. Insights into the fifth stage of "Nine Heavens Thunder Blade" gradually welled up in his heart.

Ever since he completed the fourth stage of "Nine Heavens Thunder Blade," although most of Qin Hao's attention had been on accumulation, he had not completely abandoned the cultivation of the fifth stage of "Nine Heavens Thunder Blade." He had already been close to breaking through, and now, under pressure and a full-force eruption, Qin Hao finally fully comprehended the Force Generation technique of the fifth stage of "Nine Heavens Thunder Blade."

"The fifth stage of Nine Heavens Thunder Blade is done."